Gratitude: The Most Effective Social Media Practice

Ask one hundred people for the most important skill to develop in social media, and you may get one hundred different answers about everything from hashtag use to the best times of day to post. I certainly have a long list of important skills I have learned from my #hcsm friends & mentors. However, one thing rises far above the rest.

Practice Gratitude. It isn’t something we should limit to experiencing on Thanksgiving Day alone, it’s something we should put stock in every day throughout the year.

A life of gratitude is a great foundation for personal enrichment, and a social media strategy anchored by gratitude is a recipe for digital success. Whenever I’m speaking at conferences or webinars, or simply giving advice to new ‘social nurses’, I always recommend a healthy dose of gratitude.

A Single Act of Kindness Can Go a Long Way

From personal experience, I can tell you that showing gratitude via your social channels can be a powerful networking tool. A simple expression of thanks can definitely connect you with the right people. The ripple effect is undeniable. So I try my best to recognize how those invites to events, speaking gigs, or opportunities to blog for major platforms have come my way.

Scientists studying positive psychology found that a one-time act of thoughtful gratitude produced an immediate 10% increase in happiness and 35% reduction in depressive symptoms. The happy effects disappeared within three to six months which shows that gratitude is an act to be repeated again and again.

Get Started Today

Every act of gratitude counts, and it can be as small as saying thank you or telling someone how much their support means to you. In the midst of our day, we might not be able to thank everyone who re-tweets us, but we can make a point of thanking a number of people every day, and favorite others.

No matter how you do it, publicly or privately, it’s important to come up with a way to tip your hat to those who contribute to your social media success.

The World Can Always be a Little More Connected.

Practicing gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to take charge of your happiness and well-being. Check out the infographic below from Happify to learn other ways incorporating gratitude can increase health and happiness.

What a rich resource for the practice of gratitude, Carol. I sure am grateful for my colleagues and friends who help me promote my work and share theirs. I think it is extremely important for our world to be more connected and thank you for putting it in this framework. I think the info graphic could evolve into a bunch of shorter posts about gratitude too btw!

This is awesome. I love this post! Last night, watching the super bowl celebration… I heard Manning say over and over how grateful he was to be part of that team. Now that is something. Love this, sharing. And thank you for such exceptional content!

I remember a looong time ago I made Hungry Girl’s brownies – which is basically brownie mix + 1 can of pumpkin or sweet potatoes and they were actually good! Pretty fudgy and dense. I’ll bet these cookies are a much better version (err and in cookie form) Looks yummy, Gina!